When You Least Expect It
by newyorklghts
Summary: A new girl comes to Salem. With her she brings a mysterious past, a knack for getting herself into trouble, and romance for a certain Brady. Will a past love ruin everything? Will circumstances beyond their control tear them apart or bring them closer?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This idea has been rolling around in my head for awhile. Chelsea has left and we see very little of Max these days so I decided to write in a new girl for him!! Expect to see several of the regulars in here too!!**

Prolouge

"_I'll be waiting for you when you get back," Max said._

"_You better be," Chelsea replied tearfully. She kissed him once more before heading toward the gate. She paused briefly to look back at him. She smiled once and walked away._

_----_

"_I hate being so far away from you," Max said sadly. He winced slightly when he heard Chelsea sigh through the phone. "Do you know when you are coming back?"_

"_No, I don't know yet," Chelsea explained. "Max I think we should take a break."_

"_What? Why," Max asked in shock._

"_I just think that this distance isn't helping our relationship. It's not breaking up, we're just taking a break," Chelsea said quickly. _

"_Is that what you want," Max asked carefully._

_It was several seconds before Chelsea spoke. When she did Max could tell she had been considering this break for some time. _

"_It is," she finally said._

"_If that's what you want to do then that's what we'll do," Max said trying to sound more upbeat then he felt. _

"_I'm sorry Max," Chelsea replied._

"_Don't be you told me how you felt there is nothing wrong with that," Max pointed out. "I've got to go, I guess I'll talk to you later."_

_Max hung up before Chelsea could say anything else. He caught a glimpse of a framed photo on his nightstand. It was the two of them in the park. He picked up and stared at it briefly. _

_Max threw the picture at the wall before dropping down onto his bed. What was he supposed to do now? He had promised to wait for her._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: I know both the chapters are really short but chapter three will totally make up for it! I don't own Days of Our Lives or any of its characters!**

Chapter 2

Erin Shepard slowly pulled her suitcase out of the trunk of her Volvo. Her father had decided to move their family to Salem so her mother could receive medical care from Dr. Daniel Jonas. Apparently, he was the best in the world.

Erin sighed as lugged her bag up to her room. She didn't understand why her father insisted on renting a house when he could have gotten an apartment. He was going to be in New York for business the majority of the time. Her mother was living at the hospital.

Erin glanced around as she dropped her bag on the floor. It was a nice house, she could admit that. She just didn't feel right living her by herself. Erin turned quickly and caught her reflection in the mirror.

She jumped slightly not recognizing herself. Her white blonde hair had been replaced with a dark brown color. Erin thought the color suited her personality better than the blonde had. People misjudged her with the blonde hair.

Erin's big blue eyes blinked several times. With her dark hair, her eyes appeared much larger and bluer. She shrugged her shoulders and began to unpack her suitcases. Her phone rang loudly distracting her from her task.

Erin yanked it out of her pocket and pulled it open. She checked the caller id before pressing the answer button.

"Hey dad," Erin muttered.

"Hey did you find the house ok," her dad, Kyle asked easily.

"Yeah, no problem," Erin replied.

"Listen why don't you meet for dinner," Kyle suggested. "Say the Brady Pub at 7?"

"Sound good," Erin said. She slid her phone shut and continued unpacking. It was going to be a very long summer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: This is just something I wanted to write. It is essentially taking place about a month after Chelsea has left. I don't own Days of Our Lives or any of its characters. **

Chapter 3

Erin arrived at the Brady Pub 10 minutes late. She knew her dad well enough to know that he would be late as well. Erin pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Despite it being May, it was still chilly in Salem. Erin pulled her jacket off and headed over to a table near the door. There were several other people in the Pub but none of them paid her any attention.

Erin hung her jacket on the back of her chair and sat down. She grabbed up a menu and began scanning its contents.

"Hi, I'm Max, what can I get you this evening," a voice said suddenly. Erin jumped and glanced up at him. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

Erin smiled weakly as she blushed. She pushed her hair behind her ears as she checked out Max. "Its ok," she said quickly. "I'm actually waiting on someone. Can I just get a water for now?"

"Sure, I'll be right back," Max replied. Erin nodded slowly as he walked away. Maybe Salem wouldn't be so bad after all.

Erin waved when her Dad walked into the Pub seconds later. He strode over to the table greeting several people as he went. Her father had already been in Salem several weeks and was working with the Kiriakis family.

Kyle smiled at his daughter as he sat down. "Been waiting long," he asked as he picked up a menu.

"Nice to see you too," Erin muttered. "No I just got here a few minutes ago. How have you been?"

"Fine," Kyle said easily. "Your mother is doing better. You should visit her if you have the time."

"What else am I going to do," Erin asked blithely.

"Don't be smart with me Erin," Kyle snapped. "You could have stayed in New York, you are the one that chose to transfer to Salem University and move here two months early."

"I did that to be closer to you and mom," Erin explained. "You're the one that decided to move her here not me."

Erin sighed when a glass of water was sat on the table. Max smiled nervously and glanced at the pair. "Are you two ready to order," he asked carefully.

"Yes, I'll have the chicken soup," Kyle said.

"I'm not hungry," Erin said as she stood up. "I'd say I'll see you at home, but I'm sure you've found a secretary to comfort you over your dying wife and will be spending time with her tonight." Erin pushed her chair back and grabbed her jacket. She stormed out of the pub completely ignoring her father.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Erin trudged down the stairs leading to the pier. Erin was walking across when she felt someone grab her arm.

"What's your hurry baby," a man asked.

Erin struggled to pull her arm away, but the man pulled her closer. "Let me go," Erin said angrily. She kicked the man in the shin and ran toward the parking lot. She collided with another man as she ran.

Erin stumbled back several steps. The men laughed cruelly as they began to circle around her. Erin desperately tried to remember anything she could from karate at age 12.

"What's the matter sweetheart," one man asked.

Erin tried to shove past the smaller of the two. He grabbed her and twisted her arm behind her back.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said as he pulled on her arm.

Erin gasped in pain and fought the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"You give us your wallet and we'll leave you alone," the other man said.

"I don't have it with me," Erin replied quickly. She had left it in the pub. It was inside her purse.

"We'll just have to take something else then," the man holding her replied. He released her arm and pulled her closer to him. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm sure you can make it up to me you little slut."

Erin winced and tried again to pull away from him. She glanced toward the stairs as another figure came into sight.

"Hey," Max shouted angrily. "Get your hands off of her!"

"This isn't any of your business," the other man snapped.

"Get your hands off her now," Max replied menacingly. Erin noticed that he had her purse in his hand.

"Or what," the man holding Erin demanded. "You going to hit us with your pretty purse?"

Max dropped the purse on the stairs before coming the rest of the way down them. He crossed slowly to the first man and smiled calmly. "Just let her go man," Max said again.

"How about not," the man closest to Max replied.

"Fine," Max said shortly. Max hit the man with an uppercut. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks. The man holding Erin let go of her and moved toward Max.

He swung at Max's head, missing by a mile. Max ducked down and hit the man in the stomach. He doubled over in pain but still managed to hit Max in the face.

Max stepped back in surprise, but smirked through the pain. He hit the man in the face and sent him to the ground with his partner. "Are you ok," Max asked quickly.

Erin nodded slowly. She gasped loudly when someone else grabbed her from behind. She struggled until she felt a blade against her throat. Her eyes widened in panic as she looked at Max.

"Give me the purse and she won't get hurt," the man said.

Erin nodded her head slightly. There wasn't anything that couldn't be replaced in the purse. "Give it to him," she said fearfully.

Max backed toward the stairs never taking his eyes off Erin. He grabbed the bag and moved back toward them.

"Sit it on the ground and push it over here," the man ordered. Max did as he was told. The purse stopped next to Erin's foot. The man removed the knife from her throat and shoved her toward Max.

Erin stumbled into Max's chest as the man grabbed her purse and made a run for it. The other two thugs quickly followed after him.

Erin watched them run away. It was after they disappeared from sight that she realized she was clinging to a complete stranger. Erin unwrapped her arms from his neck and stepped away from him.

"Thanks," Erin said quickly. "You probably just saved my life."

"No problem, are you sure you're ok," Max asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," Erin said with a wave of her hand. "It's a good thing you showed up when you did."

"I was trying to bring you your purse not get it stolen," Max said with a smile. He winced when his lip split.

Erin gasped and pulled his towel out of his apron pocket. She pressed the towel against his lip, trying to stop the bleeding. "I appreciate the effort, if you hadn't come out here god only knows what would have happened," Erin said with a smile. "You should put some ice on that."

"You're bleeding too," Max pointed out. He gently wiped some blood off her neck. Erin had not realized that she had been cut. "There's a first aid kit in the pub, my brother is there too. He's a cop."

Erin nodded slowly and met Max's gaze. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," Max said easily.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Max slipped his arm around Erin's shoulders as he guided her back to the pub. She leaned against him slightly as they walked. She stopped when they reached the front of the pub and glanced inside anxiously.

"What's wrong," Max asked.

"Nothing, my dad… he's…," Erin trailed off as she pointed at her father. He was flirting with one of the waitresses.

"I'm sorry," Max said softly.

Erin stepped closer to the window and watched her father. "He loved her so much," she said sadly. "When I was little I wished for someone to love me like he loved her, but then she got sick. Nothing has been the same since then."

"That must really hard for you," Max replied.

Erin nodded slightly before turning away from the window. "I'm sorry, I don't even know your last name and I am dumping all of my problems on you," Erin apologized.

"It's fine, and my last name is Brady," Max said easily.

"Your family owns the pub," Erin guessed.

"Yeah it's my mom and pop's place," Max explained. "Come on you need to talk to my brother Bo he is the police commissioner, maybe he can help get your purse back. You didn't tell me your name."

"It's Erin Shepard. I don't think I'll ever see that purse again, but I would hate for those guys to hurt another girl, especially is she doesn't have a Max Brady around to save her," Erin replied with a smile.

Max laughed slightly and pulled the door open. Erin stepped inside and ducked her head hoping to avoid her father. Max put a hand on her back and guided her over to his brother's table.

"Bo this is Erin, she was just mugged on the pier," Max said lowly.

"What happened to you," Bo asked noticing the blood on Max's face. "Were you the mugger?"

"No, he actually saved me. My purse is a different story and possibly my car," Erin said quickly. "We didn't check if they stole my car!"

Bo pulled out his cell phone and called the station. He spoke lowly as his wife inspected Max's lip. "A car is on its way out," Bo said. "What kind of car is it?"

"A black Volvo," Erin said while glancing at her father. He had not noticed she was back in the pub sitting with the Police Commissioner.

"Was there anything valuable in the purse," Bo's wife asked. "I'm Hope Brady by the way."

Erin shook her hand and smiled. "Just some credit cards, my car keys, and my phone," Erin explained.

"How did you get the cut on your neck," Bo asked.

Max stepped behind the counter and pulled out a first aid kit. He walked back over to the table and motioned for Erin to sit.

"One of the guys held a knife to my throat, he must have cut me while I was struggling," Erin explained as she sat down.

"Or when he pushed you into to me," Max pointed out. He pulled a chair in front of Erin and sat down. He opened the kit and began pulling out bandages.

"How many were there," Hope asked. She watched as Max cleaned Erin's cut and put a bandage on her. The look in his eyes was familiar to Hope she had seen it when he and Chelsea first met.

"At first there were just two, Max knocked them both out and that was when the third one showed up," Erin replied.

"That's what happened to your lip then," Bo said. "One of them hit you."

"Yeah," Max said shortly. He glanced over his shoulder toward Erin's father. He was still flirting with the waitress. He hadn't noticed his daughter at all. Max shook his head and looked back at Erin.

Erin met Max's gaze and smiled slightly. She was used to being ignored by her father. It was something he did exceptionally well. She put her hand on Max's arm and squeezed it reassuringly.

Bo and Hope exchanged a glance as they watched Erin and Max. There was definitely a spark between the two of them. Max had made it very clear though that he was waiting for Chelsea to come back.

Bo's cell phone rang breaking Erin and Max out of their trance. Bo flipped it open and spoke quickly. He hung up the phone and glanced at Erin.

"It seems that they stole your car," Bo explained. "It's not in the parking lot anymore."

Erin sighed and looked over at her father. He was leaving the pub with the waitress. Anger flickered across her face as she watched him. "What's her name," Erin asked softly.

Bo and Hope looked at Erin in confusion. Max followed her gaze to where her father was standing with the waitress.

"Her name is Rebecca," Max replied.

Erin nodded once and looked over at Bo and Hope. "Are there anymore questions that you need me to answer," Erin asked.

"You'll need to come down to the station and file a report. We also need to get a description of the guys," Bo said carefully. "It would be better to do it now, while it's still fresh."

"Of course," Erin said. "Can someone give me a ride to the station?"

"I'll take you," Max said as he stood up. Erin nodded slightly and rose to join him.

"You should wash the blood off your face first," Bo suggested as he stood up too. Max turned and quickly walked back to the kitchen. "How long have you been in Salem?"

"I just got here a couple of hours ago," Erin explained. "My mom is here getting treatment from Daniel Jonas and my dad works for the Kiriakis family."

"Our city hasn't made a good impression on you," Hope replied.

"Better than you think," Erin explained as Max stepped back out of the kitchen. She met Hope's gaze and blushed slightly.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Days of Our Lives or any of its characters.**

Chapter 6

Erin sat silently on a chair in the police station. Max sat next to her studying the ceiling tiles. Erin glanced at him briefly.

"So, tell me something about yourself," Erin finally said.

"Like what," Max asked as he looked at Erin.

"I don't know," Erin said with a shrug. "Anything."

"I used to be a professional racecar driver," Max replied. "I had to retire after a crash though."

"Impressive," Erin said with a smile. "The racing not the crashing of course."

"It was a lot of fun while it lasted," Max said with a shrug.

"So how did you go from being a racecar driver to working in a pub," Erin asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Its fine, my pop he died and I took over for him. I help my mom out at the pub, but I am also working on getting a grant for my research," Max explained.

"What kind of research is it," Erin asked curiously.

"Alternative fuel sources," Max said with a smile.

Erin raised her eyebrows, she was growing more impressed by the moment. "Nice, so you're the super smart, bad boy, with a hero complex," Erin joked.

"I think that is about right," Max said with a laugh. "What about you?"

"I'll be a junior at Salem University this fall, I'm studying professional writing," Erin replied.

"What do you want to write," Max asked.

"I think a better question would be what do I not want to write," Erin corrected him. "I just want to write, it doesn't really matter what."

"Any brothers or sister," Max asked.

"An older brother, but I don't see him much. He and my dad, they don't get along," Erin explained. "What about you? Is Bo your only brother?"

"I have one biological sibling, Melanie, and five adopted ones, Frankie, Roman, Bo, Kayla, and Kimberly," Max said easily.

"Adopted," Erin asked in surprise.

"Yeah, my uh my dad he was abusive and Frankie rescued me from him. We ran away and ended up in Salem. Steve and Kayla took us in, but my mom and pop adopted us. They've been my family ever since," Max explained.

"That's incredible," Erin said. "I'm adopted too. My dad is actually my stepfather I guess. My real dad didn't want anything to do with my mom and I. Kyle adopted me when I was two. I've never met my real father."

Bo and Hope stood across the room watching Max and Erin talk. "Should we say something," Bo asked.

"About what," Hope asked suspiciously.

"About him and Chelsea," Bo reminded her.

"Bo… Chelsea made her decision. She's the one that broke things off with him. If he falls for someone else she has to accept it," Hope pointed out. "Don't you dare say anything Brady."

"Fine," Bo mumbled. He crossed the room to Max and Erin. "You two can go, we've got all the information we need. If we have any other questions we'll call you."

"Thank you commissioner," Erin said shaking Bo's hand. "I really appreciate all of your help."

Bo smiled slightly and glanced at Max. "Glad I could help, get her home safe," Bo ordered before walking away.

Max rolled his eyes and led the way back out to his car. "Where to," Max asked.

"I don't know how I feel about riding with you knowing that you are a NASCAR driver," Erin pointed out.

Max rolled his eyes and met her gaze. "Trust me, you are safe with me," Max said as he opened her car door.

Erin slipped in and let Max close the door. "I do trust you," Erin whispered as Max circled around to get into the driver's seat.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Erin stretched in her bed and glanced at the clock. It was already 11 in the morning. Erin sat up and squinted at the bright sunlight. She hadn't meant to sleep that long.

Erin shuffled out of her bed and headed to the bathroom. She washed her face and wandered back into the room. She studied her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door.

She had several bruises on her arm and neck. Erin ran her hand down her arm absentmindedly. She needed to go see Max. She had to thank him for what he had done the night before.

---

Max walked down the stairs to the main part of the pub. He smiled at Stephanie and Phillip as they sat down. "Hey guys," Max called as he approached. "What can I get for you two?"

"I'll have the turkey on wheat," Phillip said easily.

"I'll have a cob salad and you can explain how you ended up on the front page of the paper this morning," Stephanie said. She laid the paper on the table for Max to see.

He shook his head as he glanced over the headline. There was a picture of him and Erin leaving the police station together. "It's not a big deal," Max finally said.

"Of course it is Max! You saved her life," Stephanie insisted.

"She's right you did," a voice said from behind him.

Max turned quickly and met Erin's gaze. "I just did what anyone else would have done in that situation," Max replied.

"You didn't have to though," Erin pointed out. "Those guys would have killed me if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"You don't know that," Max replied.

"You don't know that they wouldn't have," Phillip said. "We all know what criminals are like in Salem. I'm Phillip Kiriakis by the way, and this is my fiancée Stephanie Johnson."

Erin shook both of their hands and smiled brightly. "Erin Shepard, Salem's newest damsel in distress," Erin replied brightly. "It's nice to meet you both and congratulations on the engagement. You're both very lucky."

"Thank you, that's really sweet of you," Stephanie said. She motioned for Erin to sit with them. "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

"No that's ok, I actually need to talk to Max about something," Erin said quickly.

"Yeah sure," Max said. He nodded at Phillip and Stephanie before leading Erin over to an empty table. "What's up? You have something you need saved? Your cat climb up a tree and get stuck?"

"No, I wanted to thank you for last night," Erin said through her laughter. "How about you let me take you to dinner as a thank you?"

"You don't have to do that," Max replied.

"I want to though," Erin insisted.

"Seriously you don't have to buy me dinner," Max said.

"Fine, lunch? Breakfast? Coffee? An ice cream cone," Erin asked quickly. "You have to let me do something."

Max laughed and rolled his eyes. "Fine you can take me to dinner," Max relented.

"Great. How about tonight," Erin asked.

"Works for me," Max said with a shrug.

"Cool, Tuscany tonight at 7. I'll meet you there," Erin said.

---

Stephanie watched as Erin walked out of the pub. Phillip laid his hand on top of hers to get her attention.

"What are you thinking about," Phillip asked.

"What do you think of Erin," Stephanie asked quickly.

"She seems nice enough, why? You don't like her," Philip replied.

Stephanie shrugged slightly and glanced around for Max. Finding him nowhere in sight she continued. "Chelsea broke things off with Max, I know she's my best friend but I can't help thinking that Erin might be really good for him," Stephanie explained.

"You shouldn't get involved with other people's love lives Steph," Philip pointed out.

"I just want everyone to be as happy as we are, is that so wrong," Stephanie said with a bright smile.

Max came back out of the kitchen and sat their food down on the table. "What," Max asked Stephanie cautiously.

"Just walk away man," Philip suggested. Stephanie swatted his arm before turning her attention back to Max.

"What did Erin want," Stephanie asked.

"She and I are going to dinner tonight," Max explained.

"So it's a date," Stephanie said in excitement.

"No, it's a thank you dinner," Max replied with a shake of his head. He glanced toward the door and sighed slightly.

"It wouldn't be wrong for you like her Max. You and Chelsea are on a break. You can date someone else," Stephanie said.

"Yeah," Max said absentmindedly. "I'll catch you guys later." Max wandered back into the kitchen and leaned against one of the refrigerators. Would it be so wrong for him to fall for Erin?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Erin walked carefully into Tuscany. She had arrived on time, which was unusual for her. Normally she was at least 10 minutes late. Erin scanned the lobby of the restaurant for Max.

She smoothed her navy blue dress as she looked toward the bar. She spotted Stephanie and Philip standing at the bar. Stephanie waved her over. Erin crossed the room and joined them at the bar.

"Hi," Stephanie said brightly. "I love your dress! It's incredible."

"Thanks, my mom designed it," Erin explained.

"Impressive," Philip commented glancing briefly at Erin's dress. "What are you doing here alone? Do you want to join us for dinner?"

"I'm actually meeting Max for dinner," Erin said quickly. "Have you seen him?"

"He just walked in actually," Stephanie said pointing to Max.

Erin turned finding Max in the crowd. He had on black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black suit jacket. He wore no tie and the top button of his shirt was undone. Erin smiled and crossed to him.

"Hey," Erin said nervously.

"Hey," Max said easily. "Sorry I'm late I got hung up at the pub."

"Its fine, you're here now," Erin replied.

The maitre'd swept over and smiled at Erin. "Miss Shepard how lovely to see you. A table for two," he asked smoothly.

"Yes, thank you," Erin said with a smile.

"I thought you just moved here. How do you know the head honcho at Tuscany already," Max asked.

"My dad made a phone call and told them to expect me," Erin explained.

"You're dad climbed the social ladder pretty quickly," Max commented.

"Apparently it's easy if you are helpful to the Kiriakis family," Erin replied.

Max nodded absentmindedly and glanced over at Stephanie and Philip. He knew that they were both extremely happy, but he still had his doubts about the Kiriakis family. "Your father should be careful. The Kiriakis family is in a feud with the Dimeras. Those never end well in Salem," Max said lowly.

"So I've heard," Erin said as the maitre'd approached.

"Follow me please," the man ordered. Max and Erin followed behind him as he led them through the restaurant. Max recognized several of the diners that evening. He nodded at his sister Kayla and her husband Steve.

Max pulled out Erin's chair for her when they reached the table. She sat down carefully and accepted her menu from the waiter. Max quickly did the same and glanced around the restaurant.

"So," Erin said nervously.

"So," Max repeated with a smile. He raised his eyebrows at her waiting for her to complete her sentence.

"Tell me about…," Erin finally said. Someone who had just walked into the restaurant distracted her.

"Are you ok," Max asked. He looked over his shoulder to see who Erin was watching. Her eyes were following EJ Dimera. "Do you know him?"

Erin glanced away from EJ and turned her attention back to Max. "Not exactly," Erin said uneasily.

"That explains a lot," Max replied.

Erin shook her head and glanced back at EJ. "I'm sorry, it's just that I know I've seen him before. I can't remember where, it wasn't here in Salem," Erin explained. She pursed her lips as she thought about it.

"That's EJ Dimera, his family and Philip's basically run this city," Max explained.

EJ turned suddenly feeling someone's eyes on him. He caught Erin's gaze and froze. He spoke quickly to the blonde women standing next to him before crossing to Erin and Max.

"He's coming over here," Erin said lowly. Max raised his eyebrows in surprise and resisted the urge to turn around.

"Max it's wonderful to see you this evening," EJ said calmly. He kept his eyes trained on Erin as he spoke.

"Uh, you too EJ, how are you," Max replied.

"Fine, just fine, forgive my manners," EJ said smoothly, "I'm EJ Dimera and you are?"

Erin's brows knit when she heard his last name. "Dimera," she asked quickly.

EJ nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and you are," EJ asked again.

"Oh sorry, I'm Erin Shepard. I just moved here from New York City," Erin explained with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, are you enjoying Salem," EJ asked politely.

"It's nice, I'm sorry but have we met before," Erin asked quickly. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere."

"My father is a friend of your mother's," EJ said as though it explained everything.

Erin stared at him blankly before glancing at Max. "How does your father know my mother? She's never been to Salem until now," Erin asked.

"Your mother is in Salem," EJ asked in surprise.

"Yes she's receiving treatment from Dr. Daniel Jonas. She is very ill," Erin explained. "She's never mentioned knowing anyone by the name of Dimera."

"I should imagine that she wouldn't," EJ muttered. He smiled at Erin and glanced back over his shoulder. "It was a pleasure meeting you, if you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to."

"Of course," Erin said as EJ walked away. "Is he always weirdly polite?"

"He is its one of the many Dimera charms. You don't know that they are all evil until it's too late," Max explained. "Listen why don't we get out of here, we can go back to the pub and I'll make you dinner."

"I'm supposed to be buying you dinner," Erin said with a laugh. "I'll go if you let me help you make dinner."

"Works for me," Max said easily. He stood up and offered Erin his arm. She smiled slightly as she took it and let him lead her from the restaurant. She didn't feel EJ's eyes on her as they left.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Father," EJ called as he strode into the Dimera mansion. He walked swiftly into the living room to find his father sitting on the sofa. "We need to talk."

"What has happened now," Stefano asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I ran into someone tonight at Tuscany," EJ explained.

"That's nice son, what does that have to do with me," Stefano asked only mildly interested.

"It was the daughter of Sofia Fitzgerald, of course she is a Shepard now like her daughter," EJ replied.

"What," Stefano demanded angrily. "You saw her?"

"Sofia," EJ asked. Stefano nodded slowly waiting for the answer. "No, she wasn't there, apparently she is quite sick and has been brought to Salem to receive treatment from Dr. Jonas."

"What is her daughter's name," Stefano asked.

"Erin Shepard," EJ said easily. "She was with Max Brady, it looked as though they were on a date."

"Over my dead body," Stefano snapped as he stood up. He strode over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself some scotch. "What is she doing with a Brady?"

"Father, Max isn't actually a Brady. He is adopted," EJ reminded his father.

Stefano shot an angry glance at EJ as he sipped his scotch. "He might as well be a Brady, blood has never mattered very much to them," Stefano replied angrily.

"What does it matter if she was with a Brady," EJ demanded. "What haven't you told me?"

Stefano met EJ's penetrating gaze. He shook his head and looked away. He stared into the distance remembering Sofia and the relationship they had. It had not ended well. "Dimeras and Bradys do not belong together," Stefano said softly.

"She's not a Dimera," EJ replied quickly. His eyebrows knit in confusion as he realized the full weight of his father's words. "Wait, Erin is the daughter Sofia told you died?"

"She must be," Stefano said. "That is why I sent you to New York those years ago. I had heard rumors that Sofia had a child and that her husband had adopted her. I needed to know for sure."

"The timeline does fit," EJ muttered. "She's a Dimera. Does she know?"

Stefano shook his head as he stared out the window. "Her mother would not have told her, Sofia didn't want her child to grow up in our world," Stefano explained.

"I grew up in this world and I turned out fine," EJ pointed out.

"Better than fine," Stefano argued. He continued to stare out the window as EJ fixed himself a drink. "Sofia wanted a different life for our daughter. That is why she hid her away from me all these years."

"What are we going to do? Now that you know she is alive and Sofia is ill," EJ asked carefully.

"Erin must know who she truly is," Stefano said after several silent moments. "This Max Brady business will not stand either."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Erin stood in the kitchen next to Max. He had loaned her some of his clothes to wear so that she didn't ruin her dress. Max had to admit that she looked better in his jeans and shirt than he did.

Erin pushed the sleeves of Max's shirt up as she watched him. "Ok, give me something to do," she ordered. "I only agreed to this because you said I could help."

"All right, you can stir this while I add the rest of the ingredients," Max replied. He handed Erin the spoon as he stepped away from the stove.

Erin stepped over and began stirring slowly. Max came back over with the chicken and vegetables. He grabbed the end of the spoon and guided Erin through a couple of stirs.

Erin blushed slightly as Max's arms came around her and he began adding the rest of the food.

Erin turned slightly and gasped when she realized how close Max was to her. She met his gaze as his hands came to rest on her waist. He turned her so that she was facing him.

Max slowly leaned closer to Erin until his lips caught hers in a brief kiss. Erin dropped the spoon causing Max to pull back. "I… I'm sorry," Max said hesitantly. It came out sounding like a question though not an apology.

"It's ok," Erin whispered back. She brushed her lips against Max's. He immediately responded and pulled her closer. Erin wrapped her arms around his neck, completely forgetting about dinner.

"Max," a voice called from the main room of the pub. "Max where are you?"

Max jumped away from Erin at the sound of the other voice. Erin stared at him in confusion. "Max," Erin said nervously.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," Max said quickly. He crossed to the door and pushed it open without another word. Erin stared at the door for a moment wondering who was in the pub.

---

"Max," the girl said in excitement. She dropped her bags on the floor and ran over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Did you miss me?"

"Yeah Chelsea I did," Max said softly. "What are you doing back though? I thought you weren't coming back for a couple of months?"

"I'm back for Stephanie's wedding," Chelsea explained. "It's this weekend and I'm the maid of honor."

"Right," Max said quickly. "I forgot about that. Why didn't you call me?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Chelsea pointed out. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I'm kind of busy right now," Max replied. He glanced briefly at the kitchen door before returning his attention to Chelsea. "We really need to talk."

"Of course, we have a lot of catching up to do," She said happily.

"That's not what I'm talking about Chelsea. We are on a break, or did you forget about that," Max asked.

"I'm back though, the break is over," Chelsea explained.

"Are you going back to London," Max asked.

"Yes, I am leaving two days after the wedding. Why," Chelsea demanded.

"What happens when you go back to London? Are we back on break? I don't want to just be your boyfriend when it's convenient for you," Max snapped. He heard the kitchen door swing closed. He looked in that direction and met Erin's wounded gaze.

Erin stood frozen just outside of the kitchen absorbing what Max has said. Of course he had a girlfriend. Erin was silly to think a guy like him would be single.

Chelsea noticed that Max wasn't paying attention to her and turned to see what he was looking at. "Who are you," Chelsea demanded. Her angry gaze darkened when she noticed that the girl was wearing Max's clothes. "Is she your new slut?"

Erin visibly flinched at Chelsea's words. She met Max's gaze again silently pleading for him to do something.

"Chelsea its not what it looks like," Max explained. "We are just hanging out. Erin and I just met."

"Well if that's the case you won't mind giving my boyfriend and I sometime alone," Chelsea asked angrily.

Erin nodded silently and stepped back into the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and dress. Erin took a deep breath before pushing open the door again and heading for the front door. She stepped around Chelsea avoiding her angry gaze.

Max grabbed her arm as she walked past him. "You don't have to leave," he said quickly.

"Yes she does," Chelsea snapped.

"Chelsea you can't just blow back into town and run everyone out of my life because you are jealous," Max pointed out. "Erin you don't have to leave, Chelsea needs to go home anyway."

"It's fine," Erin said quickly. "I'll go, you two obviously need to talk."

Erin pulled her arm out of Max's grasp and headed for the door. She slipped outside and quickly walked to her car. Erin unlocked the doors and climbed inside. She shut the door and hit her hands on the steering wheel. So much for Salem being a good place to spend the summer.

---

Chelsea smiled smugly as Erin walked out the door. She noticed the way Max's eyes lingered on the other girl as she left. "Max," she said in irritation.

Max turned and met her gaze. "You are going to apologize to her the next time you see her," Max replied.

"I'm not apologizing for being protective of my relationship," Chelsea snapped.

"What relationship Chelsea? We are on a break and I am allowed to hang out with other girls if I want to," Max reminded her. "Besides this was your idea not mine and you'll just have to deal with this."

"I'm back though Max," Chelsea said.

"For the weekend Chelsea," Max pointed out. "Come Monday you will be on a flight to London and I will still be here."

Chelsea shook her head and glanced at the front door. "Listen I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't expect for anyone else to be here. The next time I see her I will apologize to her as well," Chelsea said. "How about you be my date to Stephanie and Philip's wedding this weekend and let me make it up to you?"

"I don't think that is a good idea Chelsea," Max said uneasily. He had another girl in mind for his date.

"Please Max," Chelsea pleaded. "I want to make this work, you and me."

Max studied her briefly before speaking. "Fine I'll go with you, but you have to apologize to Erin and we are going as friends," Max said quickly.

"That's fine," Chelsea said with a smile. "Now I will get out of your way I need to go see my dad."

Max nodded slightly and let Chelsea kiss him goodbye. He locked the door behind her. He leaned against the door briefly and wondered how he had gotten himself into this mess.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Stephanie stared blankly at Chelsea as she spoke. The girl's were having coffee and discussing last minute wedding plans. Stephanie glanced toward the door as the bell over it chimed.

Erin breezed through looking straight ahead. Her dark brown streamed behind her as she moved.

"Erin," Stephanie called out interrupting Chelsea. Erin turned in surprise and met Stephanie's gaze. She looked at Chelsea briefly before approaching the table.

"Hi Stephanie, how are you," Erin asked. She glanced down at the table and noticed it was covered in wedding things. "Last minute wedding plans?"

"Yes, we are confirming everything," Stephanie explained. "Have you met Chelsea Brady?"

Erin stared dubiously at Chelsea for a moment before speaking. "We met briefly at the pub a few days ago," Erin replied. "It's nice to see you again. I'm Erin Shepard."

Erin held out her hand and waited for Chelsea to shake it. She knew that the other girl was sizing her up. Chelsea finally extended her hand and shook Erin's briefly.

"It's nice to see you too," Chelsea said. "I actually owe you an apology. I'm sorry for the way I behaved the other night, it was very rude of me and uncalled for."

"Its all right I know how it must have looked," Erin said uneasily. She didn't like the way Chelsea was still looking at her. "Max is a great guy, you're very lucky."

"Thank you that's really sweet of you," Chelsea said with a rather fake smile. In girl code, what she said meant I want to rip all of your hair out.

"Wait, did you and Max get back together," Stephanie asked in surprise. Chelsea shot her an irritated glance as she spoke. "I thought the two of you were on break."

"We're back together, he's actually coming to the wedding with me," Chelsea said quickly.

"Oh Erin you should come too," Stephanie said excitedly. She pulled an invitation out of her purse and handed it to Erin. "I know its late notice but Philip and I would love for you to come. It will be a great chance for you to meet more people in Salem. Your father is already invited."

"Thanks Stephanie," Erin said hesitantly.

"You have to come," Stephanie insisted. Chelsea stood up quickly and walked away from the table without a word. Stephanie rolled her eyes and motioned for Erin to sit down.

Erin sat down slowly and shot Stephanie a confused look. "What is going on," Erin asked lowly.

Stephanie leaned across the table and spoke softly to Erin. "Listen, Chelsea is one of my best friends, but I know that she and Max aren't back together," Stephanie explained. "I talked to him about it this morning. They are going to the wedding as friends. I need you to show up looking almost as good as I will and steal him back."

Erin raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How do you even know that I am interested in Max," Erin asked carefully.

Stephanie looked at Erin's shirt then met her gaze. "I won't tell Chelsea that you're wearing his shirt," Stephanie replied with a smile. "Now please come!"

"Fine I will come," Erin said quickly. She stood up as Chelsea came back to the table. "I need to run some errands I'll see the two of you later."

Chelsea watched Erin as she purchased her coffee and rush back out of the shop. Only then did Chelsea turn her attention back to Stephanie. "What was that about," Chelsea demanded.

"What are you talking about," Stephanie asked easily.

"Why did you tell her that Max and I are on a break," Chelsea asked.

"Because you are Chelsea! I talked to him this morning and he told me that two of you were coming to the wedding as friends," Stephanie replied. "Besides it was your idea for the two of you to go on a break. He doesn't want to be your boyfriend when it fits into your schedule. You're with him or your not."

Chelsea rolled her eyes and glanced back out the window. Erin had disappeared, but Chelsea couldn't get the other girl off her mind though. "Is she interested in him," Chelsea asked.

"How would I know," Stephanie asked. "She hasn't said anything to me."


	12. Not a chapter, but an update

Bad news guys, my computer is fried. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I took it to geek squad and they said the mother board is fried. The good news is that my files are retrievable but I have nowhere to put them until I get a new computer and its going to be a couple of weeks before that happens. There won't be any updates until then. I swear once I get the computer everything is getting updated though. I'm handwriting everything until I can get a new one so look for all of my stories to get updates plus a couple of one-shots, sequels, and some new stories too. I am going to finish all of my stories so don't think any of them are not going to be finished.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Erin walked quickly through the hospital looking for her mother's room. She rounded a corner and came face to face with EJ Dimera. Erin stumbled back a couple of steps and stared at him curiously.

"What are you doing here," Erin asked when she realized he was standing outside her mother's room.

"My father wanted to visit your mother. He asked me to come along," EJ explained.

"Excuse me please," Erin said trying to step around him to the door.

"He'll be a few more minutes then you can go in," EJ replied still blocking the door.

"Move, or I will tell security that you are trying to keep me from seeing my mother," Erin ordered angrily.

EJ stepped out of the way and motioned for her to go into the room. Erin threw the door open and stepped inside. She shut the door in EJ's face before he could come inside.

"Mother," Erin said as she turned to the bed. A man she had not seen before was standing next to the bed holding her mother's hand. "I'm assuming you are EJ's father."

"That is correct," he replied.

"Erin this is Stefano Dimera, Stefano this is my daughter Erin," Sofia said tiredly. "He was just leaving."

Erin eyed Stefano as he approached the door. She stepped aside to let him pass. "Don't forget what we discussed Sofia. I would hate to have to take things into my own hands," Stefano said calmly.

Erin waited until the door closed to speak. "What did he mean by that," she asked angrily.

"Who knows Stefano has always been a man of mystery," Sofia said as though that explained everything.

"Mother that man was threatening you! You're acting like the two of you were discussing the weather," Erin snapped. "What's going on? How do you know him?"

"He is an old friend," Sofia replied. "I don't wish to discuss this further."

"I want to know what is going on," Erin said quickly.

"Nothing," Sofia shouted. "I'm sorry dear I didn't mean to yell. Please, let it go. Everything will be explained in due time."

Erin nodded slowly and glanced toward the door. "I should go, you look tired," Erin said after several silent moments. She pulled the door open and left without another word. Her mother was keeping something from her and Erin had a feeling that she knew what it was.

Erin paced back and forth in front of the pub trying to decide whether she should go inside. Erin turned toward the pier changing her mind. She couldn't ask him for his help.

"Erin," a voice called as she walked toward the stairs.

Erin turned and met Max's gaze. "Hi," she said softly. "I brought your clothes back." She held out his jeans and shirt expectantly.

Max crossed to her and took the clothes from her. "I'm sorry," Max said sadly.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Erin said quickly.

"I do to, everything was going really well and then my… then Chelsea comes back and… I haven't seen you since she came back," Max said haltingly.

"I thought it would be better if I stayed out of her way," Erin said carefully.

"She told me that she apologized," Max said.

"Yeah, she did. She also told me that the two of you were back together," Erin pointed out.

"Erin listen it's not what you," Max started to say but Erin cut him off.

"Don't Max, you don't owe me an explanation. You barely know me," Erin said quickly. "I just wanted to bring you back your clothes and see if you could help me with something."

"What," Max asked curiously.

"Stefano Dimera visited my mother earlier today. She's not telling me something. I need to find out how she knows him," Erin explained.

"Ok, but how can I help," Max asked.

"I'm terrible with computers and research I was hoping you could help me find some information about the two of them," Erin said.

"That I can do," Max said quickly. "Come on, the best place to do research is the library. We can check the newspaper databases."

Two hours later, they had still not found anything. Erin was getting frustrated. There had to be something they were missing.

"Maybe your mother went by a different name," Max suggested.

Erin sat up quickly and glanced at Max. "I hadn't thought of that," she said quickly. "Try Sofia Shepard. Maybe it was after she married my dad."

Max quickly typed in the name and several articles popped up. Erin pointed to one that had been published in Salem. Max clicked on it and opened the article. It contained a picture of her mother and Stefano.

Erin scanned the article and sighed. "She does know him, he's more than an old friend," Erin said in irritation. "Pictured above Stefano Dimera and his love interest Sofia Fitzgerald Shepard!"

Max examined the picture more closely. "It looks like she is pregnant," Max said softly.

Erin leaned closer to the screen and looked intently at her mother. "You're right, she is and I would bet that it's not my father's child she is carrying," Erin said.

Max looked at the date. "May 23 1987," Max said. "When were you born?"

Erin looked at Max and swallowed hard. "No," she whispered softly. "I was born November 8, 1987."

"Erin," Max said hesitantly. "Do you know what your father's name is?"

Erin shook her head and met Max's gaze. "Do you think that Stefano is…," Erin trailed off unable to complete her sentence. Max printed out the article and met Erin's gaze.

"Well there is one way to find out," Max replied standing up. He grabbed Erin's hand and pulled her out of the library with him.

"Where are we going," Erin asked as she struggled to keep up with Max.

"We are going to ask Stefano what he knows about this," Max explained.


End file.
